Serena Williams’ initial event after her return from retirement concluded early when her partner Victoria Mboko had to pull out of the Queen’s Club doubles competition. Mboko suffered a knee injury after slipping on the grass during her singles match on Wednesday. Williams, at age 44, made a notable return to play after four years away on Tuesday. Paired with Mboko, they beat the third seeds Nicole Melichar Martinez and Erin Routliffe 7-6(2), 6-2. The team was set to meet Leylah Fernandez and Laura Siegemund on Thursday. Mboko, seeded third at the event, competed in her first singles match following a bye. She had secured a break point in the second set after dropping the opener to former world number one Karolina Pliskova when she fell badly on the grass after losing her footing. She clutched her left knee and retired immediately. Queen’s Club grass courts are among the tour’s finest but can be slippery early in the event. Similar falls have caused injuries to male players in prior years. Williams is next expected in Berlin with a doubles wildcard and could receive one for Wimbledon. Mboko’s recovery path remains unclear following the injury.
